republicans remain opposed to raising income tax rates. overall, their plan is lighter on taxes and heavier on spending ing cuts than the white house prefers. gop offered $800 billion in tax increases by eliminating or reducing unspecified deductions. $600 billion in entitlement cuts and $300 billion. white house wanted $600 billion in cuts but no inflation to adjustments. republicans also want to raise the eligibility age for medicare. the white house does not. there are other differences. nothing matters more to the white house than breaking gop resistance to higher taxes on the wealthy. >> the president certainly has principles here that he intends to stick to which is that he will not sign an extension of the bush era tax cuts for the top 2%. >> erskine bowles said as big as the divide appears, despair is premature. >> that is just like a movie theater you go through each one of these. to get a deal done i am positive you will have to have increased tax rates on the top 2%. i'm also sure that the cuts that the president put on the tabl